Kenya’s electric bus company BasiGo has received funding from Proparco, the French development finance institution, to support its expansion in East Africa.
The investment follows BasiGo’s $41.5 million Series A round completed last year and comes as the company accelerates deployment of electric buses in Kenya and Rwanda.
BasiGo provides electric buses, charging infrastructure and maintenance services through a model that separates the cost of the bus from the battery and charging, allowing operators to pay through a usage-based arrangement. The company has 100 buses on the road and assembles vehicles locally while operating a growing charging network.
CEO Jit Bhattacharya said the support from Proparco validates BasiGo’s approach and will enable the company to scale local assembly, expand charging sites and advance its goal of deploying 1,000 electric buses. Proparco said the investment aligns with its focus on low-carbon transport and job creation in African markets.
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Key Takeaways
BasiGo’s new financing comes at a time when African governments and development partners are prioritising cleaner urban transport as cities face congestion, rising fuel costs and air-quality pressures. Electric buses are gaining traction as operators seek predictable energy costs and reduced maintenance compared to diesel fleets. Kenya and Rwanda have emerged as early adopters due to supportive regulatory environments and public-transport demand. The company’s pay-as-you-go battery and charging model addresses one of the biggest barriers to electric bus adoption: high upfront capital costs. By shifting energy and battery expenses into operational payments, BasiGo makes electrification accessible to privately owned bus operators that dominate transport systems in the region. Development finance institutions, including Proparco, see electric mobility as a pathway to lower emissions and new industrial opportunities through local assembly. If scaled, BasiGo’s model could influence electrification strategies in larger African cities such as Lagos, Dar es Salaam and Addis Ababa.
